Samajwadi Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on February 29 failed to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for recording his witness statement in connection with an illegal minor mineral mining case.
Mr. Yadav, through his lawyer, reportedly told the agency that he would not be able to join the probe due to prior commitments, but promised all possible cooperation. Talking to the reporters at an event in Lucknow, he targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue.
The Samajwadi Party chief and his former colleague Gayatri Prajapati had held the mining portfolio in the State during the check period. The agency had registered the case on the Allahabad High Court’s direction. The then Hamirpur District Magistrate B. Chandrakala, Mining Officer Moinuddin and Mining Clerk Ram Ashrey Prajapati were named along with several leaseholders.
It was alleged that during 2012-16 public servants had allowed illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur. They illegally granted fresh leases for mining of sand, renewed existing leases and also allowed “obstructed period” to the existing leaseholders. Unauthorised persons excavated and stole minor minerals, and extorted money from the leaseholders and from the mineral-transport vehicle drivers.
Responding to the developments, Mr. Yadav described the CBI as a wing of the ruling BJP and reacted sharply over the summons to him ahead of the General Election.
“Summons before polls, they [CBI] act as prakoshth [wing] of the BJP. I have replied to the papers that I had received,” Mr. Yadav said at the SP office in Lucknow, while talking to reporters.
Mr. Yadav further targeted the BJP for summon and cross voting of the SP MLA in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
“You [the BJP] can buy MLAs, but you cannot buy common public,” the SP president said while adding this is not the first time CBI is harassing the Yadav family.
“Remember for how long Netaji [Mulayam Singh Yadav] and our family had to face CBI. If you are doing politics and fighting for pichhde, Dalit and alpsankhyak [backward communities, Dalits, and minorities] then you will have to face all these persecutions,” Mr. Yadav said.
The SP president reiterated that the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc in U.P. will defeat the BJP on all 80 seats in the State. “If loans worth ₹15 lakh crore of industrialists can be waived off, then why can’t the loans of our farmers be waived off. The SP led alliance will defeat the BJP on all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Yadav stated.
